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When installing new
kitchen cabinets,
It’s one of the easiest and most economical ways
to heighten drama and interest in our homes. So
why, then, does color seem to strike fear into
the hearts of so many?
“There are a lot of people out there who are
color phobic, yet color gives you so much
pleasure,” says Janet Davidson, ASID Allied
Member and owner of Details in Design, in
Wheaton, IL. “And, since you have so much wall
space in a room, adding color is one of the most
inexpensive ways to create a dramatic change.”
Setting the wheel in motion
When creating a color scheme
for a room, the place most designers start is
the color wheel. Basically the rainbow wrapped
around a circle, a color wheel visually
demonstrates how colors interact with each other
and offers harmonious options in combining
colors in a single space – whether the desired
outcome is soft and mellow or full of energy.
If you’re feeling bold, for example, you might
opt for a complimentary scheme – a high-contrast
look that features two colors on opposite sides
of the color wheel. Think of the vibrancy found
in a kitchen of yellow and blue. On the other
hand, if you’re looking to create a
sophisticated, elegant feeling in a room, a
monochromatic scheme, which uses different
values or intensities of a single color, might
be the answer. Take the same kitchen and swap
out the blue for ochre and cream. Identical
space, but a completely different feel.
Whichever route you decide to go, you can’t
overlook what may be the simplest rule of color
selection – follow your own personal tastes.
“People should keep it simple, just go with [the
colors] they like,” says Davidson. “I always
look at a client’s home and wardrobe. It’s easy
to spot colors they like to use as a starting
point.”
Color me happy
Color does more than add life and personality to
a space, it sets the mood for the entire room.
Red denotes a sense of passion. Yellow is
vibrant and happy. And nothing says “regal”
quite like purple. Colors even seem to give off
their own “temperature” - red and orange are
considered warm, whereas blue and green feel
cool.
“If you took a sunroom and painted it yellow,
people sitting in it would feel warmer than if
the same room were painted blue,” says Davidson.
“Blue is just much more calming. It’s like
watching the waves roll in on the beach.”
This sense of energy that comes from a warm
color, such as orange or
yellow, may explain why they’re popular
choices for kitchens today. They’re colors that
inspire hunger and heat, whereas blue actually
represses the urge to eat. “If you want to lose
weight, don’t use red in a kitchen,” she says.
The great cover up
In the same way women use makeup to highlight
their best features (and disguise their flaws),
color can take your home to the next level,
highlighting a room’s architecture or creating
visual interest where none exists. To emphasize
a tray ceiling, pick one color, then use a
darker shade of it on the tray and a lighter
value of it on the ceiling. The result will add
depth and create a focal point in the room.
Color can even change the space itself. Since
warm colors tend to jump forward and cool hues
recede, a carefully chosen color palette can
make the room seem bigger or balance the shape
of the space.
“I had a client who had a very long room – like
a bowling alley,” says Davidson. “We painted the
far wall a darker color and the side walls
lighter to visually balance the room.”
And what about the long-held belief that
painting a small room a deep color will make it
seem smaller? Toss it out. According to
Davidson, using different values of a dark color
in a small space will actually make the room
feel bigger. Adding texture in the chosen color
can add depth and interest and keep the eye
moving instead of centering on your
kitchen cabinets.
“If your eye is bored, it’s not good design,”
she says. “That’s why we use color.”
Kohler
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